STJ, Ink-Week 4

Often, with tattoos, people made an initial decision that they eventually come to regret. What I tend to see more often, is that a tattoo is a diligently planned and well thought-out decision. When you are asked constantly about the motivation and meaning behind your ink, I find that it good to have a strong reason for getting it.

One example of a person who has a strong meaning behind their tattoo is my friend Cliff Sebastian, 23, who is a Communications major from Ledyard, Connecticut.

The entire tattoo is made up of two pieces that were done about a year apart at a tattoo shop in Queens (which is now shut down).

Cliff explained the meaning behind his tattoo to me in detail during out interview, “My tattoos have very specific meanings. The shoulder tattoo is a recreation of the signature of Robin Cassacinamon, the last Sachem (Chief) of the Mashantucket Pequots, my tribe. The armband tattoo on my bicep is a traditional men's tattoo. Historically, the men of my tribe would get this or a similar tattoo on the arm to signify their status.”

Due to the obvious connotations of his tattoos, the reactions of Cliff’s family were “basically a non-issue” unlike many of my previous subjects. Personally, it was refreshing of me to see a situation where the family members were not too concerned about their child getting a tattoo.

Like in the previous interviews, I asked Cliff how he felt about people, particularly strangers asking him about his ink. He said, “It doesn't bother me at all, I actually like having a chance to explain the meaning behind them since their backgrounds are a source of pride for me. I like people to know my tattoos weren't picked off of a wall. “

I’m taking this section of the blog to continue our Presidential Campaign assignment from last week. In my opinion, the most interesting part of this campaign in the past week has been the extensive niche campaigning by both parties. To be specific, the Obama Administration has been targeting the spread of Lyme disease and the Romney Campaign choosing to address the topic of Burmese Pythons in the Southeast. Will this strategy earn those precious voters that the parties are looking for, or will these ventures prove to be a waste of time? Only time will tell as November 7^th inches ever closer.